Thinking of joining us?

Why Rising Voices Wessex?

Singing is good for health and wellbeing, it helps in recovering self-confidence - and it is fun.

After cancer treatment or bereavement it is common to feel low and to lack confidence. The vision behind Rising Voices is to establish community choirs that can support people at such difficult times through meeting and singing together.

It is about people living with cancer or its effects, not dying from cancer - the message all too prevalent in the press and TV.

What do we do/what happens?

The choir meets weekly at St John’s Church, Ashley Road, Parkstone. The weekly practices provide a friendly environment and highly values social interaction that all involved find beneficial – “Cancer is why we came together, but it’s not what we are here for.”

There is no charge to join the choir, although there is a suggested weekly donation, which includes refreshments.

No previous musical experience is needed to join the choir - and it is amazing how quickly even the most reluctant singer gains confidence and a joy to see how much they benefit from taking part.

Where can you find us ?

Tuesday evenings, 6.45 – 9.00 pm rehearsal at St John’s Church, Ashley Road, Parkstone, BH14 0AA.

How to join?

Either by turning up at  St John’s Church on Tuesdays or through the website or phone 07500 676083

What we know about living with cancer

When someone is diagnosed with cancer a network of back-up and support comes into place through hospital clinics and cancer teams.

Through initial treatment people are supported - once treatment has finished or a loved one has died and there are no more frequent appointments, that’s when people can feel low, alone and unsupported.

Rising Voices provides a weekly social event and a chance for those living with cancer to enjoy being “normal” and not to be patients.

Research has demonstrated health benefits of singing – it confirms both physical benefits (improving breathing and strengthening the lungs), and emotional benefits (improving wellbeing and restoring self- confidence).

The social contact of being in such a choir also helps counteract feelings of loneliness and isolation - through meeting with people in similar circumstances to their own.

It’s fun that brings joy to others, as well as helping those affected by cancer to recover.

Who runs the choir?

It is managed by a group of a Trustees Board, each with a background in healthcare, cancer or music, with a shared vision that we need, as a society to foster a more holistic vision beyond purely medical monitoring to enable individuals to live well after diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

The Trustees are :-

• Dr Alastair Smith
• Noeline Young
• Rob Taylor
• Chani Darnell
• Sara Kemp
• Ian Roberts

(brief titles and cross reference to our biographies - meet the team)